KOTA KINABALU: A farmer, whose wife had just given birth, ended up with a costly maternity bill when he was charged the foreigners’ rate because the hospital refused to recognise their marriage certificate issued by the Native Court.
He had to sell part of his land in the northern Pitas district to settle the payment, said Datuk Donald Mojuntin, who is secretary-general of Sabah Barisan Nasional’s component party Upko.
Upko got to know about the farmer’s plight after a factory worker and his wife faced a similar situation where they had to pay RM3,800 to a hospital here for the delivery of their third child.
Donald said the problem came about following a Health Ministry circular in December 2014 recognising only marriage certificates issued by the National Registration Department (NRD), the state Islamic Religious Council and the Malaysian High Commission for the purposes of billing and registering births.
Couples who produce marriage certificates from these authorities would be charged about RM100 for normal deliveries at the hospitals. However, Donald noted that the NRD had formally recognised the legality of Native Court marriage certificate since Aug 28, 2009.
“The Health Ministry’s circular is demeaning the authority of our Native Courts,” said Donald, who is the Upko Citizenship and Native Affairs Bureau chairman.
Donald said Upko acting president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, who is Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, would be highlighting the problem to the Cabinet.
Earlier, Donald presented a donation from Upko to factory worker Zaudin Bangkok, whose wife delivered their third child several months ago.
He said that the couple did not face such problems with their two older children who were born prior to the issuance of the Health Ministry’s circular.
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